aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman:1885 illustrations of Chinnamastā (छिन्नमस्ता - &q
aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman:1885 illustrations of Chinnamastā (छिन्नमस्ता - "She whose head is severed"), a sacrificial Hindu goddess who decapitates herself to feed her blood to devotees. The semi nude goddess holds her own head in one hand, a scimitar in the other. Her blood is drunk by herself and two attendants. She is a goddess of contradictions, and symbolizes both aspects of Devi: a life-giver and a life-taker. She represents death, temporality, and destruction, as well as life, immortality, and recreation. The goddess conveys self-realization and the awakening of the kundalini – spiritual energy. The legends of Chhinnamasta emphasize her self-sacrifice – sometimes coupled with a maternal element – sexual essence, and self-destructive fury. -- source link
#religion#hinduism#19th century